Tadej Znidarcic (b. 1974, Slovenia) is photographer based in Uganda. After graduating from the International Center of Photography in New York City in 2007, he received a Global Fund for Children/ICP Fellowship, which took him to India, Bangladesh, and Romania to document the impact of local nonprofits on their communities. He also photographed various stories in Nigeria, Kosovo, and Rwanda. He works with NGOs and has published in The New York Times, The Guardian, Economist, D Magazine, FAZ, Die Zeit and The Observer among others. His work has appeared in solo and group exhibitions in Europe and the United States including at Moving Walls/Open Society Foundation in New York City, He is a contributing photographer for Redux Pictures.

About the Photograph:

“It was six pm and Elder Dangerfield from USA and Elder Chiromo from Zimbabwe were on their third visit of the day. They’d attended service in the morning and had another two families to visit before going home. As they finished studying scripture with the family, the Elders knelt down to pray. Elders Dangerfield and Chiromo are Mormon missionaries in Uganda, both just one or two years out of high school. I took this photograph while on assignment for The New York Times covering the lives of American Mormon missionaries in foreign countries. We were in a small, one-room house in Kwamokja, a working class neighborhood of Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. The Mormons plow this poor section of the city, and others, looking for converts.”

“Six days a week, 52 weeks a year, from morning to evening, young Mormons hit the road in pairs, visiting homes of potential converts, explaining the Mormon religion, and making follow up visits to recent converts. They try to visit each family once a week. The visits are mostly oriented towards reading from scripture and answering questions related to their faith. They begin and finish every visit with a group prayer. When they pray, they usually thank God for the people they’re visiting and for the day, and they pray with intensity. The Mormons follow a rigorous rhythm of study, proselytizing and follow strict rules during the course of their two year missionary posting. But they also discover a lot about themselves and their values in their time abroad.”

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Robin Hammond (b.1975, New Zealand) moved to Tokyo when he was 21. After returning to his hometown he enrolled in The Advanced Diploma in Photography at Massey University. After graduation he moved to London. For eight years he worked there and abroad for newspapers, magazines and non-governmental organizations. His photographs have been published in: National Geographic, Time Magazine, Newsweek and The Sunday Times Magazine among others. In June 2011, for a third year in a row, Robin won Amnesty International’s Media Award. His story on sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo won the Photojournalism category. In April 2011, he won second place at the Sony World Photography Awards. Robin lives in Cape Town.

About the Photograph:

“A 14 year old boy who’s been tied up for six years. His mother says his illness started with Malaria, then convulsions that lasted a long time. After that he fell unconscious for two days. A health professional from a local mental health NGO says he has epilepsy with psychosis. The mother refuses to have the child admitted to a hospital two km away in Northern Uganda. Decades of war have left a population traumatized and under-investment has meant services that cater to their needs and the needs of the rest of Ugandans with mental illness are severely lacking.”

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Jenn Warren (b.1980, USA) is a documentary and multimedia photographer based in Juba, Southern Sudan, specializing in humanitarian and development projects. Her work has been published in the Sunday Times Magazine, Rolling Stone, BBC News Online and AlJazeera, among others. Clients include a number of NGO and UN agencies, namely Médecins Sans Frontières, UNHCR, UNICEF, USAID, DFID, WFP/PAM, Save the Children, CARE, PSI, ICRC and Amnesty International. Jenn teaches photography, and is proficient in Arabic and American Sign Language. Her photography is exhibited and collected internationally.

About the Photograph:

“This photo is from a project I completed for The Kasiisi Project in Western Uganda. The Kasiisi Project supports rebuilding efforts for local schools in Kyanyawara and Kasiisi, an area near the border of the Democratic Republic of Congo that, until recently, was regularly attacked by LRA rebels. The program also supplies children’s books and uniforms, offers secondary and university scholarships, and has been active in the community for over 15 years. In this photograph, a Kasiisi student is baptized in a tepid pond near the primary school. Religion plays a very important role in this rural community, and children frequently spend their afternoons and weekends at church socializing.”

Raised on a dairy farm in Vermont, Heather McClintock received her BA in photography from New England College in New Hampshire, and Arundel, England, then relocated to New York City to work in prestigious commercial studios. A growing discontent with studio work, along with a desire to pursue humanitarian relief work led to her involvement with documentary photography. Heather first visited northern Uganda in 2005, where she focused on the strength and grace of the Acholi people, ravaged by both mental and physical cruelties resulting from a brutal twenty-year civil war. She returned in 2007. Her Uganda work garnered several awards, including the 2006 Center for Photographic Art Artist Project Award and her partnership with Blue Earth Alliance

About the Photograph:

In February of 2002, the LRA attacked Abia, searching for food, supplies and children to abduct. Mildred was inside her home with her six children when the rebels set fire to all the thatched roofs in the camp. The civilians were then forced to choose between staying inside their burning homes, or being shot by the rebels while attempting to escape. After she and her children were burned, Mildred’s husband left her and found another wife.” (more…)

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About...

Photographer and photo editor Geoffrey Hiller has created Verve Photo to feature photographs and interviews by the finest contemporary image makers today. Verve Photo is a reminder of the power of the still image. Verve Photo will also point you to new photo agencies, publications, and inspiring multimedia projects.